


Meaningful Silence

by akursed



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, CEO Levi Ackerman, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Lemon, Levi Ackerman Needs a Hug, Modern Era, Modern Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Porn With Plot, Protective Levi Ackerman, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:07:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29771100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akursed/pseuds/akursed
Summary: Modern AU: A young, naive intern starts a position at an up and coming corporation in Shiganshina in their final year of college.Disclaimer: This is written in first person, because I feel more comfortable writing in this style rather than second person but it is definitely still able to act as self-insert. This is much more you "narrating your own story", rather than someone else narrating to you. I have left the narrator's identity very ambiguous, but they are portrayed with a shorter feminine build.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman/Original Female Character(s), Levi Ackerman/Reader
Comments: 18
Kudos: 39





	1. Statues

The room was still. Nearly all the people in the lobby felt as if they were statues in a museum and I was the lone patron. A single clock on the opposite wall from me adds a small ticking sound to the otherwise silent ambience. It was strange how all these people were sitting here in this room managing to make absolutely no noise. Was it discipline? Was it anxiety? It felt hard to believe that all these people in the lobby were here for their own different meetings or conferences. 

Everything in the room felt so loud to me, yet I knew I was sitting in mere silence. The woman in the seat across from me huffed as she crossed her legs, flipping her short blonde ponytail to the side. 

Finally some damn movement that wasn’t from me. Another human being in a room of statues. I had chosen casual business attire for today, with a pair of tan slacks and a white top. Suddenly, I was aware of how hot it was in the room and wished I had opted in for a dress or skirt option. The receptionist at the desk stood, causing nearly everyone in the room to eye her. 

“Mr. Smith is ready for his 1:30 appointment.”

A knot formed in my stomach, as that meant it was my turn. Somehow my legs carried me to the receptionist desk, despite their gelatinous feel. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, a small nervous habit I recently developed. The receptionist smiled at me as I approached her. Placed behind her on some shelving, a photo of her with her friend group hung proudly. Next to it was a picture of her and her boyfriend, a tall blonde man with strong features sporting an apron donning the phrase “Kiss the Cook”. Something about noticing the pictures of the receptionist relaxed me, and the atmosphere felt less fake. 

“What was your name again?” the receptionist asked, tying her brown hair up into a ponytail. “Need to make sure I have the right person!”

I told her my name and she double checked the clipboard on her desk. In the process, I noticed her fidgeting to open a granola bar. So much for everyone in the room appearing to be statues. Anxiety is a funny thing, I guess. 

“Yes! I see you right here! Meeting with Erwin at 1:30. His office has big wooden doors around this corner. Room 3B. On the left,” the receptionist directed before shoving the granola bar in her mouth. With a mouthful of the bar, she made sure to inform me his name was on the door. 

I nodded, then turned on my heels towards the hallway past the U-shaped receptionist desk. Gripping my bag, I tried to remind myself that interviewing with Erwin Smith was not the scariest thing I could be doing. There were about a hundred other things in the world that would terrify me more, and a tall blonde businessman should be the last of them. Sighing, I prepared myself to knock on the door to the office marked Mr. Erwin Smith, COO. I must admit, it felt weird to meet with a chief operating officer of a company to discuss an internship. But, the person in HR insisted during our phone call. They said it would allow me to “network better” within the company. The company was still a fresh startup but it really eclipsed the competitors in the last five years. 

Breathing in to calm myself, I raised my hand to prepare for a firm knock. My father always said you could interpret a person based on how they enter a room. I’m usually the sit in the car outside your house and text type, but I couldn’t apply that tactic here. Before I could knock on the door, I noticed the inhabitants of the room were speaking. One voice seemed upset, while the other seemed distant. I didn’t mean to listen in on the conversation, yet my ear found its way against the door. 

“ _I don’t care that you don’t like him, we can’t just fire him for no reason. Be reasonable.”_

_“Erwin, something is off. I’m telling you that bastard is up to something.”_

_“And if you’re wrong?”_ So that must be Erwin’s voice. 

_“I’m never wrong.”_ Who was the other man?

“ _As much as I would love to indulge with you on this, I have a meeting. Go speak with your treasurer like you should be.”_

The second voice did not respond this time, and only offered a muffled scoff towards Erwin. 

Heavy footsteps made their way to the door, and I stepped back. Nothing would ruin this opportunity faster for me than getting caught eavesdropping. I quickly adjusted my shirt, and acted as if I were just coming around the corner when the door swung open. As I went to step forward, a man about the same height as me shoved quickly past me, our shoulders brushing for a second. Before he disappeared around the corner, he looked at his shoulder then back at me in disgust. His steel eyes felt as if they were burning into my soul, as carefully styled pieces of his black hair framed his face. 

Soon, he was gone around the corner and on his way to the elevator. 

“You must be my 1:30.” The strong voice of Erwin Smith appearing suddenly behind me made me jolt with awareness. 

“Yes! Nice to meet you, sir,” I stammered, turning on my heels to face him.

“Please, come in,” Erwin gestured towards his office where two leather chairs faced a giant mahogany desk. “Sit where you like.”

The meeting with Erwin went by rather quickly. It was much more a discussion of college courses, current interest, future goals, and why here? Small talk and filler found their way eagerly into the conversation only to be stomped out by another question surrounding what my experience in the Fritz College of Business at Shiganshina was like. Erwin was of the notable alumni at Fritz, and a picture of him could be found in the hallway with a plaque under it designating him a notable donor. A good portion of the employees here were alumnus from Shiganshina, and being a current student didn’t hurt my chances at a position here. 

Erwin explained the open internship position would unfortunately hold mostly administrative assistant duties for now, as he did not have any current tasks related to my major and intern appropriate. There was another downside, however. Erwin explained there were a few paid intern positions within the company that acted more as co-ops, but the administrative assistant positions were unpaid. 

Most people were against unpaid internships now, but a few jumped at the opportunity to have a big name corporation on their resume. Paid or not. I thought I was the type to deny a position that clearly would be taking advantage of me, but when Erwin stated there was a chance it could be contested due to my experience, I blindly agreed. 

Now, I’ve found myself walking to the bus stop after agreeing to an unpaid position. While the experience would be wonderful, the lack of financial compensation was discouraging. At the instance I turned 18, I thought nothing more about the freedom of working towards my own apartment. Unlike most college seniors that have their own apartments by now, most of my time was spent in the dorm I claimed as an escape from my parents and the rest was at my parents’ home. While I loved my parents, I opted into dorm life on the chance I needed time to myself or an excuse to focus. With my dad being a finance professor at Shiganshina, most of my expenses were compensated or discounted. This also meant I saw a LOT of my dad, and sometimes the best way to escape him was a dorm room or work. 

At the bus stop, I whipped out my phone to send a message to my family group chat that I accepted the internship. My mom quickly sent back a flurry of party-like emojis and digital confetti. I also made sure to send a quick text to my group chat with my two closest friends, who were also in the late stages of university life. Our schedules constantly collided, and we barely had time to talk anymore. But, each of us updated that small group message whenever a new achievement in adulthood came around. 

Historia was my best friend growing up, and we discovered Annie our sophomore year of high school when she moved to the city. Now we were all finding different paths in our lives. While we were growing apart naturally, it hurt to think that adulthood had taken a toll on our friendship. 

Both of the girls eagerly texted me back, encouraging the occasion as an excuse to take a break and get drinks. Honestly, taking a second to stop and go to a lame college bar to get half-drunk with Historia and Annie didn’t seem like the worst idea. None of us were really drinkers, and out of all three of us, Annie definitely handled her alcohol the best. Historia would likely opt-in to be designated driver, and Annie would stand guard against creepy mother fuckers looking at us with ulterior motives. In other words, I would be getting drunk. And they would be babysitting me. 

My phone buzzed in my hand as the bus pulled up. 

_Going or not? :)_

Historia’s dumb text smiley face somehow roped me into saying yes. 

-

At approximately 8:30, the three of us found ourselves at The Smiling Titan. The Smiling Titan resided on the edge of the Maria district and Rose district, bordering between the corporate world of Shiganshina and the college. Mostly older college students frequented Smiling, but the occasional young entrepreneur or bachelors found themselves in the bar after a long day of talking stocks and trade deals. The big names of the Shiganshina business culture usually found themselves at Haus of Braus on a Friday evening, and Historia suggested we visit it to acclimate myself to the environment of corporate Shiganshina. I couldn’t stand the thought of drunkenly encountering the shorter, angry man from today at Haus and opted in for our classic venue. 

After a quick glance at our IDs, the bouncer let us in the bar to find that it was packed full tonight. Loud music blared from the speakers, and most of the seating at tables were occupied. Historia motioned to three open stools at the bar, and we rushed towards them before someone could take our opportunity. Just as we reached the stools, a tall blonde man sporting a red sweatshirt with “Warriors” printed on the front sat in the middle. 

“Hey! Over here!” The gruff man waved towards two other men to come sit with him at our spot. 

“Hey U-Lib fucker, did you not get the memo this isn’t Warrior territory? Go find your own shitty seats,” Annie spat at the man that stole our seats. 

“Holy shit, I’d know that condescending voice from anywhere,” the man turned around in his seat. A thin mustache speckled his upper lip. “Annie?”

“Reiner Braun,” Annie huffed. “Why are you here of all places?”

“Just moved in down the street,” Reiner took a swig of his beer. “Starting my new job on Monday. Grad school next semester.”

“Interesting,” Annie replied, despite seeming far from interested. 

“Care to sit?” Reiner gestured, as he stood from the barstool. 

The three of us took our chance and claimed the small section at the bar, knowing how packed the room would get as the time passed. Reiner took the liberty to order Annie a drink, and she accepted despite her blatant disinterest in the man. As Annie’s drink arrived, so did the two other men that were here with Reiner. 

“Annie,” Reiner gestured to her then his friends. “This is Porco, and I’m sure you remember Bertolt.” 

Porco was a blonde man a bit shorter than Reiner, and much shorter than the brown-haired man named Bertolt. Porco ran his fingers through the top of his hair, then waved briefly at Annie. Bertolt, on the other hand, towered over his two friends and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Bertolt nodded at Annie, then Historia and me. The only thing I could really focus on was his choice to wear a blue sweater and a collared shirt to a college bar. Overall, he was a very lanky man, even in his face. Annie and Reiner began talking, and Porco found himself fitting in their conversation. Bertolt just shrugged and looked at his watch.

Historia smiled at me, then grabbed my forearm. Her blue eyes sparkled even in the dim bar lighting. Something about her seemed so pure, so the fact that she suggested an outing to a smoke-filled bar full of ill-tempered college kids seemed hilarious to me. 

“I have a friend that just got here,” she whispered excitedly. “I’m gonna go say hey.”

There it was. While Historia definitely suggested the outing to celebrate my accomplishment, her choice of location after my blatant refusal to Haus made sense. Someone she was interested in was here tonight, and she wanted a chance to see them. I didn’t take any offense to it, but it definitely explained why we were here. Historia doesn’t drink often, and bars aren’t really her scene. 

“You’re fine,” I smiled. I closed my eyes and slightly hummed. “Just don’t sleep with any mysterious men.”

Historia laughed then left her place next to me. I watched as she made her way to a group standing in the far corner of the room and she hugged a girl with chocolate brown hair and freckles. The two stood extremely close to one another. The brown-haired woman placed an arm over Historia’s shoulder and seemingly introduced her to the group surrounding them. It looked like the mysterious woman was about to kiss Historia’s head when my line of sight on Historia was blocked by the lanky form of Bertolt.

Bertolt humbly flashed a small smile at me, then pointed toward the bar seat. 

“Do you mind?” He asked, starting to take the seat before I could respond. 

I shrugged and turned to the bar. The bartender came around and collected my request, along with his. Coincidentally, he ordered the same thing as me.

“I didn’t take you as the type to drink Paradis Island Iced Teas,” I smirked.

“I don’t drink,” he shrugged. 

“Bertolt, right?” He nodded. “Paradis Island Iced Teas have a shit ton of-”

“I know that,” he awkwardly defended. “I just figured it’s easier to buy you a second drink up front.”

Please tell me this tall, awkward man from Liberio was not trying to take his chance with me right now over a Paradis Island Iced Tea. His method was quite inconvenient. And just… awkward. Considering the possibility he would likely be glued to my side the entire night, I brushed it off and tried to pivot the subject. 

“What brings you to Shiganshina?” I asked, nodding towards the bartender in thanks as he handed me my drink. 

God, these things tasted like candy to me. No burn from the alcohol. After the straw went

in my mouth, it never left. 

“Him,” Bertolt motioned his thumb towards Reiner. “Made me come help him move.”

I nodded, sipping down my drink. He pulled his phone back out of his pocket, and unlocked it. I couldn’t help but notice a picture of him standing outside a rollercoaster with a green hoodie on set as the lockscreen. For such a reserved person, I did not expect him to be the type to set himself as his lockscreen. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but good for Barth. 

Barth? Bert? Bernie? Whatever his name is.

“You like rollercoasters?” I asked, trying to do anything _but_ sit in silence. 

“Huh?” Bert looked up from his phone. “Oh, yeah this is me outside the Colossus Coaster. I drove five hours with Reiner and our friend Marcel to ride it on opening day over in Trost. Waited in line for hours. Marcel backed out of it, so Reiner went with him to ride the Jaw Crusher instead.” He smiled pointing to the picture. “Name of that one makes it sound worse than Colossus. Marcel claims it’s because he doesn’t like ‘new coasters’ or something.”

“Nice,” I replied, trying my best to sound interested. But, I wasn’t. I missed five minutes ago when he was shy. 

Quite honestly, this man was about as entertaining as paint. My first drink was gone, and I took the opportunity to start sipping down my free drink from Ben. For the next few minutes, we mostly sat in silence. Annie, Porco, and Reiner seemed to be deep in a debate about strategies in some sort of martial arts. Historia was off somewhere with the freckled-face girl. And here I was getting small talk friendly with Bertolt.

“Bertolt!” I exclaimed, happy in my slight buzz that I remembered his name. 

He abruptly looked at me in surprise, and raised his eyebrows in curiosity. When I looked back at him, his face flushed slightly and he nervously looked away. I tried to think of a way to play it off, but my brain was too fuzzy to think of anything. Time for my next drink.

And my next.

And my next.

And the last thing I remember is throwing up on Bertolt’s boring ass brown shoes. 

  
  



	2. Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the nice comments on the first chapter! This one is a little longer, so I hope you enjoy it!

Even in absolute silence and darkness, my head was pounding. The sound of the entire atmosphere seemed incredibly loud and deafening. With the blackout curtains pulled shut and the comforter over my face, the dark of the room seemed as bright as a million suns. Every single small sound I endured was absurdly amplified. 

And the nausea.

Don’t get me started on the nausea. 

“Rise and shine,” Historia chimed, turning the light on as she came into the room. “I have your favorite hangover indulgence.”

Despite the abysmal amount of blankets over my face to prevent the light making its way to my eyes, I could sense every single watt being expelled from the lightbulb in the room. I groaned in response, flipping over onto my stomach to try to plunge myself further into the void. 

“It’s noon, you can’t sleep all day,” a raspy voice called from the doorway.

Abruptly, I sat up. That’s not Historia. The blankets fell from my face, allowing every ounce of light to filter into my vision. Along with the entire room and its decor. This isn’t Historia’s room. 

“Where the hell are we?” I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat aching. 

My vision fell upon Historia standing in the doorway, the light from the hallway flooding in behind her. Her golden hair shined, and she gave me her famous kind smile. She looked like an angel with a cure for my hangover. She _was_ the angel with my hangover cure, because there in her hands was a white mug with steam coming from the top. 

“Coffee?” I gasped, dramatically throwing my hand over the edge of the bed and falling backwards.

Historia walked towards me and sat down on the edge of the bed with me. She handed me the mug of the precious caramel colored liquid, and I held the mug up to my nose. Everything somehow stopped being overwhelming as soon as I inhaled the aroma of the coffee. Then, I started gulping it down as if it were water.

“You weren’t kidding,” the raspy voice laughed. “It worked.”

“This is…” Historia gestured to the woman now in the room with us. Her face was spotted with freckles. “Ymir.”

“Oh,” I replied, releasing the coffee from my insatiable death grip. “I’m-”

“Oh I know,” Ymir smirked. “About halfway through your drunken stupor, you introduced yourself to me. Fifty times.”

“Ymir was nice enough to let me bring you here last night,” Historia explained, slightly smiling as she said the other woman’s name. “You drank a little _too much_ for someone that doesn’t frequently drink. We’re in the apartments just down the street from the bar.”

“We thought you had alcohol poisoning.” Ymir leaned against the doorframe, amusement flickering across her face. “I thought you were going to die in my bed for at least an hour.”

“What happened? Annie usually stops you. Four is it, then you want to start doing karaoke renditions, of all things.” Historia asked, her eyes soft and concerned. 

“Quite honestly…” I trailed off in an attempt to remember anything from last night. “I really don’t know. I don’t even know where Annie went.”

“She left with those guys,” Historia rolled her eyes. “Apparently they’re her old friends and Porco’s brother or something showed up.”

For a second, my only memory of last night flashed in my head. Me getting sick on Bartholomew’s shoes. _Poor Barth._

“Barth?” Historia raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“Blue sweater guy,” I waved, trying to erase him from my memory in the process. I didn’t realize I had said the former thought out loud. “Whatever his name is.”

“Bertolt?” Ymir also raised an eyebrow. Now both of them were looking at me with the same expression. 

“Yeah… I think so. That sounds right,” I pondered. “Historia, can I have more coffee?”

She nodded, then took the mug from me. On the way out of the room, I noticed her give a little smile to Ymir. Ymir smiled back, then headed over to take a seat on the bed.

“I would hope that’s right considering how many times the poor fool had to reintroduce himself to you,” Ymir chuckled. She pulled her phone out and started scrolling through social media. “What do you think started your fifty introductions?”

“Oh god,” I murmured, trying to pull myself further under the blankets. 

“I believe the foundation was that you kept calling him anything BUT Bertolt, and he would try to correct you. Nicely. You’d go ‘Bernie’, and he’d calmly tell you ‘No, no. I’m Bertolt.’ then you would just fuck up his name again. Eventually, you drug him over to us and showed everyone that you know your name but not his. It was kind of sad. Well, for him. Funny for us.”

“He was trying really hard to look after you,” Historia informed me, coming back into the room with my fresh coffee. “I thought that was nice of him considering he was a complete stranger.”

“I think he was just trying too hard,” I huffed. “I wasn’t interested in him at all. Completely not my type. It was like watching paint dry. Actually, it was worse. If I remember anything, I remember how boring he was. He was so passive, that if I told him to go punch a wall or something he would.”

“Man,” Ymir laughed. “That’s kind of brutal.”

“I thought he was nice,” Historia shrugged, handing me my coffee. “You’re a pretty reserved and introverted person, so it made sense to me.”

“Historia,” I scoffed. “I’m highly offended that you are trying to pair me with the man that was so boring that I had no other option to drink myself sick.”

“Yeah Historia, it sounds like he’s _really_ your type,” Ymir teased.

“Look if you want Bartholomew’s number just ask,” I joked. “I’m sure with my condition last night I have it somewhere to share with you.”

Historia didn’t say anything. Instead, she rolled her eyes at me then turned to glare at Ymir. Ymir smiled at her, and Historia didn’t waver. Oh, if looks could kill Ymir would be in the ground right now saying her final goodbyes. It’s hard to piss Historia off, but when she’s angry...

“So, how do you two know each other?” I asked, sipping on my coffee. “I don’t believe Historia to be the type of friend to entrust my life with a total stranger from a bar.”

“Well,” Historia’s eyes dropped down to her hands. She studied her manicured nails.

“We’re just really good friends,” Ymir shrugged. “ _Great friends_ , actually. I was in one of her classes last year.”

“Yep!” Historia nodded in agreement. “We had a group project together.”

“Oh okay,” I responded. Something seemed off with their story due to Historia’s blatant discomfort when I asked my question.

I mean, it made sense. But what college student could afford to live alone in an apartment in the Maria District? The placement of the apartment buildings in conjunction with the office buildings made them suitable for a work commute, and many business people sought out apartments in this area causing rent inflation. College students were rarely able to afford apartments here with roommates, let alone by themselves. 

After finishing off my second and eventually a third cup of coffee, I ultimately decided it was time for me to make my trek back home to cleanse myself of the previous night’s dreadful sins. Ymir and Historia saw me out, directing me to the closest bus stop. While the college was about a ten minute walk from here, I could not find the energy nor the motivation to walk there. I’d rather sit at the bus stop for thirty minutes than walk for ten minutes with a hangover.

On my way out of Ymir’s apartment, I noticed two men unpacking small items from a car. Strangely, they looked familiar. It was probably just the foggy brain from my hangover, so I pushed it off. I’d have to walk past them to get to the bus stop, so hopefully they wouldn’t pay very much attention to me during my walk of shame.

As dismissive as I was of the boring and reserved man last night, I want nothing more than to not be noticed. I want to exist without perception. Simply, I want to be invisible. I’m quite boring myself, actually. Most of my free time is spent doing extremely mundane or redundant tasks. And I’m a business major, which I can rightfully classify as boring. Historia always tried to ease my mind by telling me that I was funny and not boring, but I could never shake the idea from my head.

By the time I made it across the parking lot and was approaching the two men, I started to pick up on their conversation. It’s not like I intentionally eavesdrop on everyone’s conversations. They just happen to be having them around very vulnerable ears that can’t help but perk up and listen. As I started to walk by, I dropped my eyes to the ground to avoid contact.

“Look, just send him my regards.”

“I don’t know how he’s going to feel about such a lack of-”

“Hey, isn’t that the person you were following around last night?”

I looked up and there they were. Reiner was pointing at me, and Bertolt was just staring. Awkwardly. When I made eye contact with Bertolt, he quickly looked away. Reiner waved at me bleakly, and then nudged Bertolt. Before I could react, they were headed towards me. 

“Hello,” I uncomfortably greeted the two. 

“How’s your head?” Bertolt asked, touching the back of his head when he did. 

“My head?” I asked, unsure of whether he was referencing my hangover or not. 

“You smacked the shit out of your head on the bar after you threw up on his shoes,” Reiner replied, appearing to stifle a small laugh. 

I brought my fingers to the nape of my neck to find a large lump tender to the touch. 

“Ouch,” I whispered. 

“I’ve never seen someone recover from a possible concussion so quickly,” Reiner reminisced. “One second, you were nearly on the ground. The next, you were screaming your name for the whole bar to hear.”

“Sorry about your shoes,” I apologized to Bertolt, ignoring Reiner’s comments. “I can replace them if you want.”

Bertolt just shrugged and didn’t say much other than a small mumble of “It happens.”

Compared to how much I remember him talking last night when it was just us, he seemed a lot more quiet today. Most of the conversation seemed to be led by Reiner, and Bertolt was just there to exist. Reiner seemed like one of those guys that talked just to talk.

“Well,” I cut Reiner off in the middle of whatever he was talking about. “I have to get going so I don’t miss the bus.”

“The bus? We could give you a ride,” Reiner offered. 

As nice as that was of him, I politely declined. Quite honestly, there was not anything at the moment that I wanted to do less than ride in a car with the two of them after last night’s extravaganza. After a quick farewell, I finished my walk of shame to the bus stop and started the ride of shame back to campus. 

-

The remainder of the weekend passed relatively fast, leaving as quickly as it arrived. With the first day of my internship here, I spent most of the morning mentally preparing myself. My mundane routine that normally took a maximum of twenty minutes found itself increased to an hour as I paced around my room trying to convince myself that my outfit choice would not be a major crime against humanity. As much as a pressing matter this was, I had to pull myself out the door to ensure I would not be late for my first day.

Upon my first arrival at the office building that housed Ackerman Holdings, I felt my breath hitch. This was it. The start of my internship at one of the largest startups that had recently become the parent company of two subsidiaries, Jaeger Tech and then Survey Distributions, a small warehousing company that distributed electrical parts. Despite my lack of financial compensation, I felt lucky to have an internship position within the executive levels of a newly formed holding company that was performing so well. The controversial Levi Ackerman formed the company five years ago, and it has hit the ground running ever since. Running was merely an understatement. This company was sprinting.

Levi Ackerman.

A walking controversy. While I had never seen Levi, I had definitely heard of him. My mental picture of him represented a sharp, tall man like Erwin Smith that attended Shiganshina College. However, I knew that despite my suspicion on Levi Ackerman’s physical appearance, I knew that recent press coverage criticized his lack of formal education. Apparently, Mr. Ackerman did not attend college, yet he was one of the largest entrepreneurs within the last five years. He became a millionaire before the age of thirty, and has been growing his net worth ever since. Yet, he was publicly criticized for his lack of education in comparison to his business partner. Tabloids tried to claim he was utterly illiterate and had a background of poverty that restricted his education. Other sites dedicated to gossip and drama claimed he was intelligent, but emotionally unavailable. One crazy post on a social media site reflected on the concept that he didn’t even own a bed and he never slept. Everyone had something to say about Levi Ackerman.

Multiple news sources recently raised rumors toying with the idea that Levi was simply the face of the company, and did not even function as a president or CEO of Ackerman Holdings. But, he did his best to refrain from public exposure and was anything _but_ the face of the company. Significant leaders in the corporate world could recognize him, but any normal person on the street probably would walk past him without a second thought. It was strange that he had so much information circling him publicly, yet most people couldn’t point him out in a lineup of other businessmen. His biggest discourse, however, was the way that he treated people. 

Anyone that knew Levi Ackerman knew that he was extremely precise, and uptight to say the least. Everything dared to be in its place, because if something was not he would notice. He would notice immediately if there was a slight angle to a hanging canvas in his office. His demands were reported to be innate and nearly unachievable. And, if you questioned him or crossed him, you faced termination.

With my position being an administrative assistant to executives within the company, I was likely to cross his path at some point. The mysterious, contentious and pretentious Levi Ackerman would be unveiled to me at any moment during my internship. Any slight slip up, and he would have my head. The thought of fucking something up in Levi Ackerman’s company was enough to spark contemplations of inner turmoil for the next year. The turbulence of my anxiety was not letting up as I made my way past the hungry receptionist to Erwin Smith’s office. 

When I reached his office, the door was open and the man that had bumped into me sat in one of the leather chairs holding what appeared to be either a cup of coffee or tea. His left ankle was propped against his right knee, giving the illusion he was relaxed with a perfect posture. As I walked into the room, his head turned and our eyes met. In that moment, his cold steel eyes peered into mine. His glare didn’t waver as he lifted the cup to meet his mouth, taking a long sip of the amber colored liquid. There was nothing about him that was relaxed.

Every single aspect of this man felt intense. He was dark and brooding. Deep and mysterious. Something about him screamed that he was complex and multi-faceted. I couldn’t look away from him. 

My stomach did flips as he finally looked away and gestured to me with his head. He looked at Erwin whose back was turned as he looked out of his office window, then back at me to narrow his eyes. Erwin hadn’t noticed that I had come into the room.

“Hey,” his dark voice said. “We have a pest.”

“Levi,” Erwin sighed. He turned around to look at both of us, smiling when he saw me. “This is our newest addition to the team.”

Levi.

Levi _fucking_ Ackerman.

And he was sitting right in front of me. My mind flashed back to our first interaction when I had overheard his conversation with Erwin on Friday. He had bumped into me, but looked at me in disgust like I had brushed against him. Now, it made sense. He expected _me_ to move for him and I didn’t. A huge fact (well supposed fact) about Levi that circulated was his innate need for cleanliness and organization. Along with me bumping into him, he likely was disgusted by the fact that another human being even touched him.

“Well,” Levi responded, sounding uninterested. “Are you going to tell me your name or not, Intern?”

Nervously, I introduced myself to Levi and he turned back around without a single word to say to me. He took another sip of the amber liquid and part of me wanted to question if it was whiskey or not based off of his persona. Erwin motioned towards the chair next to Levi as an invitation for me to sit down. I accepted the offer and anxiously took the seat next to Levi Ackerman. The CEO and president of the entire company. And he was just here next to me.

Erwin looked at his watch, then he studied Levi for a second. Levi was glaring at Erwin, but I couldn’t tell if he was angry with his business partner or if that expression was just his resting face. He was incredibly hard to read, and quite frankly not at all what I expected. Aside from the personality, I definitely imagined someone much closer to Erwin’s type. Yet, here was this brooding dark-haired, gray-eyed man plopped in a chair next to me holding his white mug with care. I turned my head slightly to study him a little more as he stared straight ahead. 

All of Levi’s features were clean-cut, much like his tailored appearance. The underside of his black hair was freshly shaven in an undercut and his eyebrows appeared neatly kept. His jaw was very angular, and his nose perfectly straight. His face had no sign of five o’clock shadow, cleanly shaven and smooth. His hooded eyes had a certain sharpness to them, seeming cold but full of emotion at the same time.

“Tch,” Levi scoffed. “Find something else to look at, _Intern._ ”

My eyes quickly dropped to my hands in my lap. Out of habit, I began to pick at the nude colored polish lacquered on my nails. It began to chip away in little tiny pieces, and I made note to myself to stop before Levi noticed the mess.

“I did have someone from HR coming to give you a tour,” Erwin announced, looking through a stack of papers on his desk. “But, they are unfortunately caught up in some onboarding for the new acquisition and the new employees. I’ve mentioned financial compensation to HR as well, but the board has the final say in that.”

“Seems a bit much for a board of executives to meet over shitty pay for an intern,” Levi huffed, duly noting that my financial discourse was now his problem as the president of the company. 

“With the newest subsidiary, we had to cut some corners for a few positions.” Erwin continued to study the thick packet of papers, the header at the top stamped with the company’s label. “Unfortunately, the position we had available for you was one of those.”

“I understand,” I murmured. 

“Oi,” Levi gestured his hand towards me angrily. “Speak clearly, no one can decipher that shit you muddle under your breath.”

My head turned to him in shock, my eyes wide. Erwin’s expression did not alter much, but in that second I saw a flicker of concern towards Levi. With Levi being as unfaltering as he is, I could sense the tension in the room and it wasn’t towards me. It was just being taken out on me. And I did not deserve that shit.

“I understand,” I repeated louder, gritting my teeth as the words came out. 

“Levi,” Erwin warned, his eyes switching to my direction for a second. His tense stature hinted towards a fear over Levi’s next reaction to my sudden combativeness. 

But, Levi did not say anything. Instead, he took another sip of his drink and adjusted his tie. There was a certain adjustment to the atmosphere in the room when Levi chose to shift towards his drink instead of a hasty response to my rare boldness. It almost seemed like I could feel Erwin relax a little, as if he were waiting for Levi to cut me right then.

“So, what would you like me to do today since HR can’t give me a tour?” I inquired, setting the stage for the topic to change. 

“For once, Levi and I have a break in our schedule due to a cancellation.” Erwin informed, his gaze steady on Levi waiting for any reaction he had. “To fill that time, we will show you around the floors we own and get you prepared with your incoming tasks for the week. You will likely be working close with us these next few months, so there is no harm in taking time to show you around.”

Levi cocked his head to the side, raising a thin, black eyebrow at Erwin in suspicion. Erwin’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes intense. In a way, it seemed the two men were having an argument through silence and their facial expressions. Levi stood up abruptly, setting his cup down at Erwin’s desk in the process. 

“Let’s get this over with,” he sighed. “I have shit to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this one was a little slow, but things are about to get interesting now that Levi's in town ;)


	3. Shadow

Most of the tour was directed by Erwin, with the occasional brooding comment from Levi. Other than a nod at another employee or a muttered comment about something inconveniencing him, Levi remained silent for the thirty minutes the three of us toured the floors of Ackerman Holdings occupied. Erwin seemed immune to Levi’s brash personality and the constant negativity. To someone that barely knew the man on the other hand, it was an unpleasant aura saturating my first day and my impressions of the short business executive.

To someone like Levi, I guess thirty minutes meant the world. Especially when he was wasting them on an intern he could care less about. As the founder of a major company, I could barely imagine what his tasks ensued and what a typical day in the life of Mr. Ackerman looked like. While we walked throughout the halls, I walked directly next to Erwin, and Levi trailed closely behind, appearing as a third wheel. To be fair, he was practically forcing himself out of the conversation. 

“What’s your favorite class you’ve taken this semester?” Erwin asked, trying to form small talk to fill the emptiness. “I have a lot of great friends teaching at Shiganshina now.”

Levi scoffed, and Erwin chose to ignore him.

“Uh, this semester I’m really enjoying Intermediate Financial Analysis.” I responded quietly, somewhat severing the conversation at the neck. Who the hell enjoys Intermediate Financial Analysis?

Another scoff. What’s his fucking problem with the world. 

“Another Shiganshina College brat,” Levi huffed. “There are plenty of you running around here as it is.”

“I just go to Shigan mostly because of my dad teaching there,” I shrugged. “And the wonderful College of Business.”

Erwin’s ears perked up at the mention of my father and his connection to the college. He raised a bushy eyebrow at me, as he gestured to the elevator to return to the floor with his office. 

“I was wondering if there was a connection between the two of you when I saw your last name,” Erwin explained. “Your father was a graduate assistant when I was a freshman. He taught one of my first classes in economics.”

I nodded, honestly unamused but trying my best attempt to care. My father and I had a rough relationship, but I somehow couldn’t seem to get away from him. It wasn’t a complicated relationship in the sense that I had an absent father, because physically he wasn’t. Mentally, on the other hand, he lacked support and presence. While I saw him all the time, we constantly fought.

“That was about a year before I was born,” I absently replied.

“Yes, remind the man of his age,” Levi dryly responded. Was that a joke?

“Sorry,” I apologized, concerned that I had misspoke from my disinterest in the conversation.

“Don’t humor him,” Erwin assured me. His tone was always so charming. “That’s how he jokes.”

I cocked my head to the side, somewhat indicating my confusion. The three of us made our way back to Erwin’s office to find a short, fair haired woman waiting outside the door with a stack of paperwork. She smiled when she saw Erwin and me, but quickly dropped her eyes when Levi was revealed behind us. I sensed a bit of tension between the two, but maybe I was overanalyzing. 

Or just being nosy.

“Ah, Petra,” Erwin smiled. “What can I help you with?”

“Hi Mr. Smith!” She smiled back, then waved at me. “I just have some more paperwork here for you to sign off on. I didn’t realize Mr. Ackerman would be here, but he needs to sign on some of these as well.”

“Petra, have you met with our newest intern yet?” Erwin inquired, taking the thick stack of documents from her grip. “I believe you two have spoken on the phone?”

“Oh! No, I haven’t.” Petra reached out to shake my hand, and I obliged to the motion. “Petra Ral, Head of HR. So sorry I missed the tour with you, we are just packed with this acquisition of Jaeger Tech.”

“No worries,” I smiled. “It was very nice of Mr. Ackerman and Mr. Smith to show me around in your place.”

Petra nodded, then acknowledged that she would head back to her office on the second level occupied by Ackerman Holdings in the office building. As she walked past Levi, she looked at him briefly as if she wanted to mention something to him but ultimately decided not to. Levi looked at his watch, then left on his heels in the opposite direction of Petra without a word. Based on his body language, I wanted to think that the sight of Petra somehow made him angry.

Erwin motioned for me to sit down, and he took his seat as he placed the stack of documents next to the pile from earlier. I noticed Levi’s dirty mug had left its spot on Erwin’s desk and was sitting next to the Keurig in the back corner of Erwin’s office, clean. He intertwined his fingers, and a furrow appeared in his brow as he studied the contents of the top of the stack. For a moment, I assumed he forgot about me. Until he sighed, then he softened his expression before speaking to me.

“Now, I believe some of the papers in here…” Erwin pointed to the large group of documents he was studying before the tour. “Need some revision and a second set of eyes to look over them. If you would, please read over them thoroughly then return them to Mr. Ackerman in his office. He is very particular, as I’m sure you’ve seen. Highlight any mistakes, and then write in the edits with a red pen. You may sit in here for now, but we will be getting your desk handled this afternoon.” Erwin handed me the papers.

I nodded, studying the first page which appeared to be a memo. Seemed easy enough. Except for the fact this batch of paper resembled the grave of a small tree, as there had to be about 100 documents in my hand. With how uptight Levi presents, such a simple task seemed more taxing than it should. A slight slip up by over correcting or missing an error, and I would be victim to a dry, seething verbal assault from Levi. Quite honestly, I didn’t expect Levi Ackerman to be the type to entrust his work with anyone else’s eyes for input. 

“It’s funny to think that he hasn’t already proofread and edited this thirty times,” I admitted to Erwin, hoping my small comment fell in good humor and not flat on its back. 

“Ah,” Erwin smiled. “I figured you would say that. He’s very apprehensive and a bit of a perfectionist, isn’t he?”

I nodded and Erwin slightly laughed. 

“Mr. Ackerman wasn’t humored by our college discussion since he has not had much of a formal education into adulthood,” Erwin explained. I raised an eyebrow. “It’s interesting from my background to see such a successful, intelligent entrepreneur that has no college degree in this current atmosphere. Many in our competitive environment question his validity, yet Levi is one of the most intelligent men you’ll ever meet. He gets impatient when he has to edit his own work too many times.”

I nodded, realizing there was a slight hint of truth to those rumors. He wasn’t uneducated, and he wasn’t stupid. He just didn’t go through a college of business program like most of the employees here.. On top of that, Levi had too much of an ego to recognize his own mistakes. Seeing his own mistakes in something so simple bothers him when everything else he does is perfect. He’d much rather one of us do it, then place the papers on his desk without saying a word. Every single thing in his life had to be organized, clean, and precise. Nothing out of place. Nothing incorrect. And Levi had to be in control.

Part of me wanted to toe the line and ask about Petra as it seemed there was a tension between the two, but Erwin would likely not be entertained by my affinity to be intrusive. Before I could say anything further, the phone placed on his desk started ringing. As he answered and began discussing information with the person on the other end, I took the initiative to start my busy work for the morning. 

What seemed to be a few hours passed and I made it through ten out of twenty of the packets by the time Erwin set the phone down. Most of the papers had minimal errors, which appeared to be a result of poor typing skills and being in a rush to finish the work. It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed within the day, meaning the memos and responses would be ready sooner than later. For someone that didn’t gain a formal educational standpoint on business writing, Levi clearly knew the proper conditions and ways to approach business memos, as to be expected of the CEO of a company. Nearly all the documents I read were just entertainment at this point, because they were a chance to be nosy with the occasional red mark. With his personality already being short in patience, it was no surprise that his mistakes were minimal and he was overeager for extra alteration to achieve perfection. Due to my involvement in my work, I didn’t even notice Erwin was saying my name until the third time. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was pretty involved in this,” I smiled, holding the papers up and shaking them slightly. 

“That last call was Petra from HR again,” he explained. “We were figuring out your proper placement for your internship so you have more direct tasks. Unfortunately, Mr. Ackerman’s assistant departed from the company due to _personal reasons_ last week. Since your outlined tasks in the job offer are administrative, HR and I have decided your internship will be fulfilling assignments assisting Mr. Ackerman. For now, at least.”

“Oh,” I responded, not sure how else to convey my emotions. 

“I know he will be very grateful for your help, while he may not give that impression. Interns in other departments have been taking extra time to help him, so I’m sure they will appreciate you stepping up to the task.” Erwin continued. “Now, I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to do. If that doesn’t work for you, we may be able to find something else or you can decline the offer. But, I assure you this will likely be temporary until Mr. Ackerman finds a new assistant.”

“What about financial compensation?” I inquired, hinting at the fact I’d be taking on an actual position in the guise of an internship. “Or my class schedule?”

“Petra has noted that you are still unavailable for most of the work day on Tuesdays and Thursdays for prior obligations with schoolwork,” Erwin acknowledged. “He will just function as he does now on those days. _He’ll get over it._ ” The last portion huffed quietly under his breath, as if he expected me to not pick it up.

I noted his avoidance of my pressing on the financial compensation. Perhaps the board still had to meet about it, but the last thing I want to do for free and a pat on the back is to serve Levi Ackerman hand and foot. Ackerman Holdings was always reported in high regard for its ethical choices and fair employee policies, it was actually surprising to see there were unpaid positions in the company at all. My mind flickered back to Erwin mentioning them cutting corners on some positions for the new acquisition. It seemed off that two well-seasoned business executives would take on a business deal that forced them to cut corners in their own company.

But then again, the positions they cut in the process were for college students that quite honestly had little value to the company. If anything, they had less to worry about with fewer interns so it made sense on that front. For my sake, I hoped silently to myself the board would approve my commissions. 

“I believe that you will earn some very valuable experience under Mr. Ackerman, even if you may believe an assistantship is not the best fit for your credentials,” Erwin continued. “But, what better way to network and learn the ropes of executive life than shadowing Mr. Ackerman. You’ll not only be fulfilling smaller tasks for him, but you will be able to get insights into his workload, meetings, and events as his assistant. It’s worthwhile once you consider it in that light, I assure you.”

Erwin Smith seemed to be buttering me up to the position, which served as a tiny red flag in the back of my head. I wasn’t sure if it would a signal to a lack of financial security, or more so the event of working so closely with the calloused personality that is Levi Ackerman. If anything, I should be the one doing the coaxing, not the COO of Ackerman Holdings. 

“Yes, I believe so,” I agreed, somewhat solemnly. “But, what about payment for the position change?” I fought the temptation to nervously chew at my lower lip, slightly anxious as I pushed once more on the idea. 

“Ah, about that.” Erwin cleared his throat, his expression steady. “The board is currently unable to meet on the basis of discussing your salary. With the procurement of the newest subsidiaries, the members see it infeasible to discuss intern pay after the previous meeting to decide where to implement reductions.”

Without Erwin finishing the rest of his explanation, I felt an undeniable anger within me. I wanted to scream in his poised, content face. Understandably, I had blindly accepted the intern position with the explicit understanding a salary was not guaranteed. But with the change in position and placement under the odious head of the company, I couldn’t see the purpose in devoting the time out of my day for free. Quite frankly, the entire tour and invitation to the company felt as if it were some shitty guise to get me to accept my position with the company and act as Ackerman’s lackey for free. 

“Miss,” Erwin interrupted my concurrent vexation, my last name catching my ears. “Do you have any response to this proposal? Counters? Thoughts?”

“I think,” I said, clearing my throat and standing from my seat. “That it is unethical to have me work under Mr. Ackerman for free. I believe I will have to reject on the basis that I will not be financially compensated.”

Erwin nodded, accepting what I said with no verbal response. His lack of reply noted to me that the point was moot. There was no negotiation to be made. The board made their decision when they refused to meet. I watched his eyes suddenly shoot to the doorway behind me. 

“Pay the damn intern,” the sharp voice called, no emotion to the sentence. Just a simple demand.

My head turned in shock to see Levi Ackerman standing in the doorway of Erwin’s office, his glare landing on Erwin and I as he leaned against the doorway. Erwin raised one of his pointed, bushy brows at Levi’s suggestion. He sat back down in his chair, a slightly amused look painting his face. 

“Pay her?” Erwin asked, implying the need for elaboration on Levi’s sudden demand.

“Yes,” Levi responded dryly, making his way into the room toward the Keurig.

“You know that we had to do reductions, Levi,” Erwin slightly contested, somewhat giving the impression he was questioning Levi’s sudden sanity. “The rest of the board cannot meet this week, and I did not want to have her work under the false impression she would receive pay. It would be an addition of a paid-position to the company after we just had cuts.”

So, that’s why it was so important for the board to evaluate my stance. With Ackerman Holdings still being on the smaller side (without the consideration of its two newest additions), it was important to evaluate steps such as suddenly adding a new paid position. There was an analysis made to the company just last week, and they would have to reevaluate scenarios just for me to get a slight compensation. No wonder they refused to take the time.

“I understand, Erwin. I know how business works,” Levi countered. “I’m the president of this company and those insufferable bastards will have to manage. Give her an open position, just let her call it an internship for credit for all I care.”

I crinkled my brows at Levi’s sudden nice gesture, despite his harsh tone. Two hours ago the man couldn’t stand to be in the room with me, but now he was suddenly contesting his business partner to just veto the board and pay me. Based on his last sentence, I assumed Levi was unaware that I was going to become his assistant if I chose to stay with the company. 

“Being an insolent, unethical company that doesn’t pay its employees is a fucking headline waiting to happen,” Levi continued. “I don’t need another reason for Zacharias to bother me with his bullshit about another headline in a tabloid written by some bastard that has nothing better to do with their damn time.”

It wasn’t for the sake of me. It was for the company’s reputation. How silly of me to think that someone of Levi Ackerman’s stature would give me the time of day. 

“Okay,” Erwin nodded, satisfied with Levi’s contingent solution. “I have no qualms, and if we both agree she should be paid, what fight can they make. She will be receiving an existing open position as is.”

Levi raised his eyebrow, questioning Erwin on my placement. It was the most expression I had seen from his face all day. Erwin motioned for Levi to come to his desk, and handed him a small packet of papers. Levi accepted the documents, then began reading over them, his expression giving no hints as to his feelings on the documents or what they were. 

“I see,” Levi said flatly. “Very well, then.”

He looked to me, his expression unfaltering as always. We were standing quite close to each other at this point, my hands still clutching my work from earlier. Eye to eye. I was in the company of Levi Ackerman, and I was about to be his shadow.

“Follow me,” Levi demanded, turning to leave the room.

Before I could respond or register the situation, he was heading out the doorway. He stopped in the doorway to look at me as if I lacked a brain, and I hurriedly grabbed my bag and the remainder of my supplies. I nodded to Erwin and quickly paced across the room to catch up to Levi. As we went silently down the hallway to the elevator, the silence remained unchanged. We made it to the elevator, and he pressed the button for the top floor once we were inside.

“Thank you,” I said, breaking the silence as the doors to the elevator shut.

Silence. Just Levi staring forward. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” I continued. “I appreciate it.”

“You will be my assistant. That is a permanent position. It requires financial compensation by law,” Levi ended his silence. “I did have to do it.”

His response was so dry that I wasn’t sure if it was his attempt to joke with me or make conversation. Likewise, it was probably an attempt to get me to stop talking to him more than anything. 

“Will I get a chance to meet the other interns?” I asked, trying to avoid the rest of the elevator ride being quiet. 

Silence. 

“Do you work closely with any other interns? I know Mr. Smith mentioned they help with tasks sometimes,” I continued. 

He waved his hand, seemingly in disgust.

“There are two of them that I have the most interaction with,” he responded, surprisingly willing to entertain me. “Jaeger and Arlert. Jaeger is not the Jaeger from Jaeger Technologies.”

The elevator doors opened, revealing a floor with two chairs in a small seating area to the left, a table acting as a coffee station, and tall windows. I noticed what appeared to be a bathroom on my right, and then a room with a glass door. Adjacent to the room with the glass door were two double doors, the color of slate. A name plate hung next to the doors on the wall.

Levi Ackerman, CEO.

“This is your office,” Levi pointed to the glass door. 

“I get an office?” I questioned, somewhat surprised. “I’m an intern.”

“You’re a glorified intern that is my assistant,” Levi harshly corrected. “You get a workspace like most permanent employees. Accept it before I replace it with a desk next to the elevator.”

Unsure if he was serious or not, I didn’t take my chances and quickly thanked him. He pulled a small set of keys out of his pocket, unlocking the door to my new office. Levi held the door open, then signaled for me to come in. As I came in, he turned the light on and the room illuminated to reveal a small desk centered directly across from the door and a bookcase to the left. A small filing cabinet sat pushed to the back corner with an electric kettle placed on the top and metal containers that appeared to hold tea leaves.

“The desk is near the door for you to see anyone who comes up here,” Levi explained. “Don’t move it. Move anything _except_ the desk. The office is freshly clean. Keep it that way.”

“Did the old assistant leave this stuff?” I asked, pointing to the kettle and boxes of tea. 

“No.” His response was flat, much like everything else he said. “It’s for me.”

I looked at the man in confusion. He tightened his tie, then huffed at the silence indicating my need for an explanation.

“I require tea to work. I expect it to be made to my desires,” Levi informed me. “Black tea. Steep it for four minutes exactly. Use the correct amount of water or it will have to be remade.”

“Okay,” I nodded, thinking to this morning when he was drinking from the mug in Erwin’s office. He must have had tea then. 

“Finish those documents by four,” he instructed, leaving the room as he finished the sentence. 

I looked at the clock on the wall. It was two in the afternoon. Time to get to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do we think of Miss Intern's newly found position? Wonder what that could possibly lead to ;)
> 
> I swear I am speed writing. I am nearly done with the next chapter and have somewhat of a timeline the story will be following. Right now we're still in the slow-burn phase, remain patient my friends.


End file.
